Feed indicating self-closing adjustable oil cup



Dec. 5, 1933.

c. Q. ALLEN FEED INDICATING SELF CLOSING ADJUSTABLE OIL CUP Original Filed Nov. 9, 1929 42x9; .NVENTOR zmaag/j "ll MEI!" Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED ST TES PATENT" OFFICE FEED INDIGATING SELF-CLOSING ADJUSTABLE OIL CUP Chauncey D. Allen, Philadelphia, Pa;, assignor to Consolidated Ashcroft Hancock Company, Inc., New York, N. Y'., a corporation of Delaware Application November 9, 1929, 'Serial No. 406,082 Renewed September 12, 1933 2 Claims. (01. 184-80) The present invention relates to an improved feed indicating self-closing adjustable oil cup, and it is the purpose of the'present invention to provide a devicerof this kind especially adapted for lubricating various frictional surfaces on engines or other apparatus, and more particularly the needle valve or spindle type of control..- This design is used in many ways, and itsname-i'mplies a simple small size valve arranged toopen or close as required, placing the seat disco! spindle on its sea-t leavingan orifice/for theoutlet of oil, it dependingupon the position of the operating handle.

It is therefore another purpose of the present invention toprovide a construction superior and more desirable than the cups now used, especially with respect to better and stronger construction, greater efliciency and economy in manufacturing.

,The covers on oil cups now used on locomotives, and other moving. apparatus jar loose as a result of vibration, and in many instances-left open by the operators, exposing their interiors to dust, cinders and other undesirable matter which may pass with the oil to the bearings and thereby-cause serious injury. t

For obvious reasons, which may be apparent from a'comparison with the description of the present invention, the herein ,mentioned type of oil cups have only been partially successful.

It is another purpose of the present invention to provide afeed indicating cup, which has a predetermined orificeset in alignment to an indicator withinthe vision of the operator, and which indicates the amount of oil being supplied to the frictional surface, indicating whether the supply is fSlow, Medium, or Fast.

Another purpose is to provide a cup which is self-closing. For instance the construction and arrangement of thepresent oil cup is such that the cup cannot feed until the cup is closed, therefore the statement that the cup is self-closing, thereby keeping out cinders, dust and other foreign, matter, and thereby preventing the ;cup from failingto feed. In other words when the filling openings are closed foreign matter is prevented from entering the cup, and such closing movement of the filling openings ,is a part offthe regular adjusting action, which will entail no additional movement'or attention by the operator.

Afurther purpose of the invention is to provide a cup having a direct oiling arrangement independent of thesadjusting or filling position. This advantage is obvious and of a great benefit, as it enables the operator to supply, additional oiltothe frictional surfaces without having to change the adjustment of thefeed to the cup or to do anything otherv than insert the end of the oil can snout. In oiling various parts of engines or locomotives, the engineer or operator on inspection of .the various partsapplies oil to the guidebars, thatis along their outside edges of the frictional surfaces, which carries the foreign matter to the center, whereas in thepresent oil cup the oil is applied to the center of the frictional surfaces. p

Y A further purpose is to provide an oil cuphaving a cover for adjusting device that has provisions for carrying the foreign matter such as cinders, dust and Water to the surfacesoutside of the oil cup instead of inwardly to the oil chambers. V

V A still further purpose of the invention is. to provide in an oil cup a multiple of outlets with surfaces, it being understood that the oil cupmay .be made any shape or size, such as will meet the needs of increased capacity, in conjunction with separate outlets for oil to different positions of onefrictional surface or to individual frictional surfaces, f

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no way limitative, and that While still keeping within the scope of the invention, any desired modification of details and'proportions may bemade in the construction ,of the applianceaccording to circumstances. I

The invention comprises further features, and combination of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is aperspective view of the improved oil cup constructed in accordance of the inven tion showing the cover in a closed or shut position.

Figure 2 is avertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the lower half of the oil cup as looking in the direction of the arrow a and the upper half of the oil cup as though looking in the direction of the arrow b.

Figure 3 is a view showing the cover partially Figure 4 is a sectional View on line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, 1 identifies a casing of an oil cup, which may be any size and shape and with reference to Figures 1; to 3 inclusive this casing is cylindrical and is provided with a hexagonal base portion 2, whereby the threaded extension 3 may be threaded into a member 4, which may or may not be a guide bar or other element. Constructed through the base portion of the casing is a bore 5 into which is fitted a tubular spindle 6. The bore 5 is counter-bored as identified at 7, and into which the tubular spindle 6 extends. The counter-bore is larger in diameter than the tubular spindle, thereby providing sufii cient space or clearance for the reception of a coil spring 8, which surrounds the lower end of the tubular spindle. The lower extremity of the tubular spindle is reduced as shown and receives a washer 9, between which and the shoulder 10 a coilspring cooperates, for the purpose of urging the tubular spindle downwardly and thereby holding the cover 11 (which is carried by the upper end of the tubular spindle) closely in engagement with the upper face of the casing 1 of the oil cup. The reduced terminal of the tubular spindle, after applying the washer 9 receives the end of a tool not shown for spreading the reduced extremity, peening the marginal edge over the washer, thereby retaining the washer in position in order that it may constitute an abutment for the coil spring 8.

Interiorly of the casing 1, the bottom thereof has a boss 12, which is axial in alignment with the threaded'extension 3. This boss isprovided with an outlet opening 13 for the oil, while the tubular spindle 6 is provided with a plurality of outlet openings 14, 15 and 16, the latter of which may register with the opening 13 to permit the oil to escape or flow out slowly, theoil first .passing through the opening 13, then through the opening 16 (when it registers with 13) and thence through the lower portion of the tubular spindle and finally upon the parts to be lubricated. The opening 14 may register with the opening 13 to'provide for a maximum or fast flow of lubricant or oil, while the opening 15 is of medium size and provides for a medium fiow of oil to the parts to be lubricated.

" The cover 11, while it maybe any shape or size, is preferably of disc formation, and centrally thereof and projecting downwardly'from its under face is a boss 17, which whenthe cover is in place on the casing 1, seats in an annular depression 18 of the top of the casing 1. The top 19 of the casing has a bore or opening 20, through which the upper end of the tubular spindle 6 engages. The upper extremity of the tubular spindle fits in the bore 21 of the cover, and is secured therein by means of transverse pins 22. In construction this part of the device the two pins 22 are originally one pin, but in the final assembly the central portion of the single pin is drilled through, which causes the two pins 22 to be formed with their adjacent ends engaging through the wall of the upper end of the tubular spindle 6, thereby securing the tubular spindle to the cover. The bore 21 of the cover is of two diameters, the upper portion of the bore 21 is of a smaller diameter than the lower portion of the bore 21, there being an adjoining shoulder 24, with which the upper extremity of the tubular spindle 6 engages, the upper extremity of the tubular spindle constituting a seat for a coil spring 25, with the upper end of which a reduced eX- tension 26 of a valve 27 engages. The upper face of the cover 11 has a boss 28, which is concentric with the bore of the cover, and in this case the wall of the boss 28 is peened over the spherical head of the valve 2'7, thereby holding the valve in position, while the coil spring 25 acts to retain the valve 27 in contact with its seat 30 and hence close the opening 31.

The tubular spindle has a transverse opening 32, through which the air may fiow for venting oil out of the cup. However this opening 32 owing to its position allows the oil or lubricant to flow through the tubular spindle and to the parts to be lubricated. In this manner a direct feed to the'parts to be lubricated is accomplished. The cover 11 is provided with upstanding oppositely disposed ears 33,'by means of which the cover can be rotated, for the purpose of adjusting the same as well as the spindle, so that certain of the openings 14, 15 and 16 may register with the opening 13, and when anyone of these openings 14, 15 and 16 are in register, they may be so held by means of the spherical detents 34, which are mounted on and carried by the under face of the cover, loosely in the cavities, which engage in any two diametrical opposite depressions 35, which are formed in the top 19 of the casing -1.

These depressions 35 are purposely disposed relative to each other to provide for positioning the-cover 11 to hold either one of the three openings 14, 15 and 16 in register with the opening 13.

As shown in Figure 3 and in the sectional view Figure 2, the top 19 of the casing 1 is provided with diametrically opposite openings 36. These openings 36 are segmental'in shape and 'consti tute filling openings, whereby the casing 1 may be filled with oil or lubricant.

The cover 11 is also provided with diametrically opposite openings 37 as shown in Figure 3, and when these openings 37 are in register with the openings 36 all three of the openings 14, 15

and 16 are closed. In other words all of the openings 14, 15 and 16 are out of register with the openings 13, therefore no oil or lubricant can pass from the cup into the lower end of the tubular spindle, hence there would be no feeding of oil to the parts to be lubricated, and an engineer or operator knowing this to be a fact it will become v a habit of the engineer or operator to invariably and at all times close the cup after filling the same and hence prevent cinders, dust and other foreign matter from entering the cup.

On the side of the casing 1, as in Figure 1 an indicating arrow 38'is provided, while the upper face of the cover is provided with four indicating arrows 39 with such identifications as"Shut,

Slow, Medium and Fast as shown at 40 indicating arrow 38 a slow flow of oil may pass out through the opening 16, and when the identification Medium is opposite the arrow 38, a medium flow of oil may pass through the opening 15, but when the identification Fast is opposite the arrow 38 a fast flow of oil is allowed to flow through the lower portion of the passage constructed through the tubular spindle.

The spherical detents 34 are carried in cavities formed in the cover 11 and to retain these detents in their cavities or seats the marginal portion of the cover adjoining said detents are peened over.

The wall of the casing 1 has an opening 42 which is closed by a screw plug 43. This opening is provided in order to drill the opening 13, sub

sequently to which said opening 42 may be closed by the plug which is shown.

Between the filling openings of the casing 1 the top of the casing 1 is provided with recesses or depressions 50, the bottoms of which are inclined outwardly and downwardly, for the purpose of draining off any foreign matter.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is:

1. An oil cup comprising a casing having filling openings in its top, a cover on the casing and provided with openings to register with the filling openings, the center of the cover having a valve controlled opening, a tubular spindle passing through the top wall and communicating with the valve controlled opening in said cover, whereby upon opening the valve oil may pass through the spindle for direct lubrication, the interior of the casing at the center of its bottom having a boss centrally through which the spindle passes,

said boss having a radial passage, the spindle at a point within the boss having a plurality of radial passages of varying diameters, any one of which, upon rotating the spindle, adapted to register with the radial passage of the boss,

whereby lubricant may pass through the lower part of the spindle in varied quantities.

2.'An oil cup including a casing having filling openings in the top, a cover on the casing and provided with openings to register with the filling openings, a spindle connecting the cover and the bottom of the casing, the spindle passing through the bottom and having a passage through its entire length, said cover havinga valve controlled opening communicating with the passage, whereby upon depressing said valve oil may be carried directly through the spindle, said bottom q CHAUNCEY D. ALLEN. 

